


Digging Your Own Grave

by Clockwork



Series: Chances [3]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Child Abuse, Gen, M/M, trigger warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-24
Updated: 2013-08-24
Packaged: 2017-12-24 13:28:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/940525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clockwork/pseuds/Clockwork
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles isn't willing to let Isaac drift away after just starting their friendship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Digging Your Own Grave

**Author's Note:**

> Trigger Warning for mentions of child abuse that is not graphically depicted.

Lahey had been out of school for three days. Given he was in summer school for absences, that came as no surprise to anyone. What had started to worry Stiles was that Isaac wasn't answering his phone. Or come the afternoon of the second day, his door.

Slipping around the side of the house, he hopped up, trying to peer in the window. The blinds were drawn tight and strain though he might, Stiles couldn't hear a sound from within. Padding along the sun baked, well maintained lawn, he made his way along the narrow passageway between house and fence to the backyard. 

The lawn opened up to a spacious backyard where Stiles knew the Lahey family had once held parties. Mostly for the high school swim team, and even as young as he'd been, Stiles had heard about how wild those parties could get. Mostly because he remembered his dad being called out from time to time, and even at a young age, Stiles had learned to keep an ear out for what came over the radio without revealing that he was actually listening.

Now though all was quiet but for the soft shushing sound of the pool pump.

Up on the deck, Stiles knocked roughly against the frame of the back door. Pausing, he strained to hear even a sound from inside. A phone ringing. Someone even avoiding him. Nothing.  
Digging out his phone even as he walked back to the Jeep, dialing Scott's number as he made the walk back. And never once noticing the curtains fluttering back into place over Isaac's window, plunging the room back into darkness.

***

Darkness was a friend and an ally in Isaac's mind. The shadows hid the marks on his skin, the ones so pervasive that even long sleeves couldn't hide them. They helped to shield the emotions in his gaze. The pain that tightened his mouth, and the fear that made him pale at loud sounds.  
It was the only reason why working didn't bother him. Not that he was worried about the work he did. Many feared the cemetery, treated it as a playground and a haunted house, but for Isaac it was a place of peace, of death and life and ignoring all of that in favor of manual labor. It was a place that reminded him where he was likely to end up sooner than later, but he didn't let those thoughts escape from some deep place within where he locks away the fear he has.

It would be easy to wallow in his fears, of all he lost when his brother died but something within wouldn't let him give up. Not to fear, and not to the sadness he felt over losing what was left of his family. Mother and brother to death, and his father to his grief. Instead Isaac would hold tight to what he remembered, to how life had been. So he worked, helping his dad and ignoring every tinge of ribs likely separated by the beating he'd taken after Stiles had left.

It was Stiles he wouldn't let himself think about there in the dark, working the back hoe as he cleared a plot for the next day's services. Maybe tomorrow he'd go to school. Depending the bruises. Depending on if he could take a deep breath without whimpering. Thinking about going back to school though meant thinking about Stiles. Stiles who had come by his house. Stiles who had called six times that day alone. It had been nearly three hours since the last attempt to reach him, and despite knowing he couldn't let himself answer the phone, it hurt Isaac to realize that maybe Stiles had given up. It was for the best, but that didn't make it hurt any less.

 

***

Stiles had spent the night at Scott's, trying to focus on anything but the fact that Isaac was missing. Except, he wasn't. At least that's what his dad had said. So instead he had played video games, and thought about Isaac. They'd watched a movie, and he'd found himself staring at his phone instead. Around nine he'd given up, telling Scott he'd see him soon and headed for home. If he wasn't at school tomorrow, he'd camp out on the doorstep until he saw Isaac, or Mr Lahey.  
Driving past the cemetery, he took a deep breath, holding it like his mom had taught him when he was little. Counting the seconds as he drove, not accelerating or decreasing his speed during the drive.

One. Two. Th…

Stiles choked, spluttering and jerking hard on the steering wheel of his Jeep, stomping on the brakes as he skittered to a stop on the side of the road. Even from that distance he know those curls, the careless fall of them over a temple that bore a bruise that Stiles could see even from where he was parked. A bruise that should have been much paler three days after he'd first seen it.

Grabbing his phone out of the cup holder, he texted Isaac's number.

`I'm staring at you. Answer me.`

It was potentially stalkerish, but he didn't care. It seemed a better idea than trying to make it over the fence and storming across a cemetery.

He watched as the backhoe stopped, and Isaac got his phone out of his pocket. Even as the other boy moved to put his phone away, Stiles was sending another message.

`Seriously. Answer me or I'm coming over there.`

Now he held his breath for an entirely different reason. Counting the seconds as he watched Isaac.

One. Two. T…

`go home stiles. have to work.`

It was the truth, he'd give him that.

`Promise me you'll be at school tomorrow.`

He texted without looking away from Isaac, watching him peering around him from his perch on the hoe. Stiles dropped one hand, still texting with his right, as he shut off his lights.

`Promise me.`

Three. Four. Five. Six.

He was just beginning to think he'd have to try scaling the fence when his phone buzzed.

`ill be there. now go before my dad sees you`

It wasn't enough for Stiles but it would do. For now. At least until he could see Isaac and see if that bruise was actually darker than before, or if the shadows were playing a trick on him. Shifting the Jeep into gear, he didn't turn on his lights until he was a block away, all thoughts of shades and hauntings forgotten over thoughts of Isaac.

So caught up thinking about the other, neither of them noticed the dark figure lurking in the shadows of the trees, watching Isaac as he went back to digging the grave.


End file.
